Blossom Again

Three Years Ago...

Spain

"Grandma, please wake up! Please! Emily cried out, shaking her grandmother's fragile body. Ma Rosa lay still on the bed, her eyes closed, her chest rising faintly. Emily pressed her ear against her grandmother's chest to confirm she was breathing, but barely. With trembling hands, she grabbed her phone and called an ambulance.

At the hospital, the doctor broke the devastating news. Ma Rosa was suffering from a rare and life-threatening condition, and immediate surgery was her only chance. The cost of the procedure was astronomical, far beyond anything Emily could afford as a university student.

Tears streaked her face as Emily pleaded with the doctor. "I can't lose her. She's my only family, my whole world!

Desperate, Emily turned to her friend and classmate, Aria, who lived on campus. "I need your help," Emily begged. "I need money to save my grandma."

Aria's expression softened, but she shook her head regretfully. "I don't have that kind of money, Emily," she said. "But... I know someone who can lend it to you."

"Who?" Emily asked, her voice trembling.

"A loan shark," Aria replied hesitantly.

Emily froze. The thought of borrowing from a loan shark terrified her, but she had no choice. Her grandmother's life was at stake.

Aria led her to an abandoned school building on the outskirts of town. Beneath it was a hidden underground chamber. The atmosphere was heavy, reeking of tobacco and fear. There, Emily met Don Henry, a tall, muscular man with a sinister aura and cold, calculating eyes.

"Why are you here?" Don Henry asked, his gravelly voice sending chills down Emily's spine.

Emily swallowed her fear and explained her grandmother's condition, begging him for a loan. Don Henry studied her with a smirk, his eyes lingering on her face. "You're quite a beauty," he remarked, lighting a cigarette.

Sliding a contract across the table, he said, "Sign this, and you will have your money."

Emily hesitated but eventually signed. Don Henry handed her a large stack of cash. "Remember," he said, his tone dark and foreboding, "there are consequences if you don't pay on time."

"I'll pay it back," Emily promised, clutching the money and fleeing the suffocating room as quickly as she could.

The surgery was performed, but it was unsuccessful. Complications arose, and Ma Rosa passed away shortly after.

Emily was devastated. For days, she cried inconsolably, mourning the loss of the only family she had ever known. Ma Rosa had raised her after her mother died during childbirth. As for her father, he was a mystery, a man her grandmother never spoke about.

Left utterly alone, Emily forced herself to move forward. She buried her grandmother quietly and returned to her studies, determined to make something of her life.

But one fateful night, as Emily walked home from school, a black van screeched to a halt in front of her. Before she could react, masked men jumped out, grabbed her, and forced her inside.

When the blindfold was removed, Emily found herself sitting across from Don Henry.

"Where's my money, Emily?" he asked, his voice calm but menacing as he blew smoke into her face.

"I ... I'm working on it," she stammered.

"There's no working on it in my world," Don Henry snarled.

"Please, give me until the weekend!" Emily pleaded, her body trembling. "I promise I'll have it all."

Don Henry leaned back in his chair, studying her with a twisted grin. "Fine. But if you fail, you will belong to me, you'll be one of my girls."

Emily's stomach turned as she glanced around the room. Scantily clad women sat on the laps of leering men, while others endured brutal punishments. One woman, barely conscious, was being whipped by a tattooed man.

"I’ll bring the money," Emily whispered, her voice shaking.

When she returned home, Emily made a painful decision. She sold her grandmother's old house, the only connection she had left to Ma Rosa. But even after the sale, it wasn't enough to cover the debt.

With trembling hands, she brought what she had to Don Henry.

"It's all or nothing," he growled, pushing the money back at her.

"Please, this is everything I have," Emily begged, tears streaming down her face.

"You know the deal," Don Henry said coldly, grabbing her by the hair. "If you can't pay, you will work off the debt as my toy."

Emily had no choice. Reporting Don Henry wasn't an option, he was too powerful, and his men were dangerous. That night, he took her virginity, forcing himself on her as she sobbed silently.

Though Don Henry allowed her to continue her studies, he made it clear that she belonged to him. No one else was allowed to touch her.

Emily eventually graduated and secured a decent job. Over time, she saved enough money to pay Don Henry the remaining balance, finally freeing herself from his grip.

Determined to leave the past behind, Emily moved to New York City. There, she rebuilt her life, becoming a confident and successful woman. She buried her pain and focused on creating a bright future.

Back To Present

Emily's hands shook as she watched a video of Don Henry assaulting her. Her breath caught in her throat as tears streamed down her face. The past she thought she had escaped had come back to haunt her, threatening to destroy the life she had worked so hard to build.

Ashley stared at her best friend, her face filled with confusion. "Emily? Is that you? Is this some kind of edited video?"

Emily didn't respond. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.

"Please, Emily," Ashley pleaded, gently shaking her. "Tell me what's going on."

Emily tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. She looked helpless.

Ashley softened her voice, her eyes full of sympathy. "I'm here for you. You know I'll always stand by your side."

But Emily's breathing grew faster, panic taking over. The weight of her past was crushing her, like a predator that wouldn't let go. Suddenly, without saying anything, she hit the elevator button and bolted as soon as the doors opened.